Homemade Cheddar Biscuits

Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

Make the biscuits

Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder, and salt together in a large bowl or in a large food processor. Whisk or pulse until combined. Add the cubed butter and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or by pulsing several times in the processor. Cut/pulse until coarse crumbs form. See photo in blog post for a visual. If you used a food processor, pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Fold in the shredded cheese. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk and drizzle honey on top. Fold everything together with a large spoon or spatula until it begins to come together. Do not overwork the dough. The dough will be shaggy and crumbly with some wet spots. See photo in blog post for a visual.

Pour the dough and any dough crumbles onto a floured work surface and gently bring together with generously floured hands. The dough will become sticky as you bring it together. Have extra flour nearby and use it often to flour your hands and work surface in this step. Using floured hands, flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle as best you can. Fold one side into the center, then the other side on top. Turn the dough horizontally. Gently flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle again. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough horizontally one more time. Gently flatten into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle. Repeat the folding one last time. Flatten into the final 3/4-inch-thick rectangle.

Cut into 2.5- or 3-inch circles with a biscuit cutter. (Tip: Do not twist the biscuit cutter when pressing down into the dough because this seals off the edges of the biscuit, which prevents them from fully rising.) Re-roll scraps until all the dough is used. You should have about 8–10 biscuits. Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet (see Note) or close together on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Make sure the biscuits are touching.

Brush the tops with remaining buttermilk. Bake for 18–22 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven.

Make the topping

Mix the topping ingredients together. Generously brush on the warm biscuits, and serve warm.

Cover leftovers tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.